This invention relates to a handle for the door of an automobile vehicle comprising improved means of protecting a lock cylinder associated with the lock that it controls.
The invention is more particularly applicable to a handle for the door of an automobile vehicle of the type in which the handle comprises an external gripping lever that is designed to be moved by a user from a rest position to an open position to control a lock that is associated with a lock cylinder of the type comprising a lock cylinder stator, one end of which is accessible from the outside so that a key can be inserted into the lock cylinder through a slit opening into the end.
The invention is particularly applicable in the case of a vehicle for which access is managed by "electronic" means, in other words in which drivers do not normally use conventional mechanical keys that they insert into lock cylinders, but use other identification devices called electronic keys that enable them to access the vehicle, and therefore to activate lock mechanisms using handles when they get close to the vehicle.
However, for some applications, or when there is a failure of the electronic identification devices, the driver may need to insert a conventional mechanical key into a lock cylinder before he can enter his vehicle.
During normal use, the mechanical lock cylinder is not used, and it is desirable to be able to protect it to avoid dirt or other foreign bodies that could enter into the slit into which the key is inserted. Furthermore, the end of the lock cylinder and the insertion slit are unaesthetic elements that detract from the general design of the handle.